Looking for the next big thing in anti-aging? For those who don’t have the patience for a serum, cream, there’s another option that’s growing in popularity: Laser Treatments.
While it may not involve a knife, they are still deemed a medical procedure and shouldn’t be taken lightly. We take a look at the common questions patients have when considering a laser treatment.
What can a laser do for me?
Lasers are used for a variety of things: they treat sun damage, plump up wrinkles, remove unwanted hair, fade scars from acne or minor injuries, improve the texture and colour of skin, and even shrink pores,
What is a laser actually doing to my skin?
To put it simply, a laser works by damaging the surface of skin, prompting your body to regenerate. It’s like tricking the body into stimulating the things that were damaged, Unlike many organs in your body, you get a whole new set of skin cells every 30 days, which makes it easier to get results.
What kinds of lasers are there?
There are lots of lasers available on the market today. At Natura we only use medical grade lasers that can only be operated by a doctor. Here’s a look at two of the most popular laser treatments.
KTP Laser Treatment
Best for: Facial redness, Rosacea, Face Veins, Redness caused by acne
Cost: From £125 per treatment (although this is very much dependent on the individual’s skin condition)
Downtime: Patients may experience some redness post treatment, however this tends to subside a few hours after treatment. We do recommend that patient’s use an SPF of at least 25 following treatment as skin will be sensitive to UV rays, and exposure may affect results.
Fractional CO2 Lasers
Best for: Deeper scars, wrinkles, stretch mark removal, skin tightening, pigmentation
Cost: From £200 per treatment
Downtime: It depends. If complimented with redness reducing Platelet Rich Plasma and a course of appropriate aftercare topical creams, downtime can be just a few days.
Complimentary Treatment: The Vampire Facelift or Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP Treatment)
Best-known brand(s): SmartXide Fractional DOT
What about IPL? Isn’t that a laser too?
There is mixed information out there on intense pulsed light treatments, but contrary to popular belief, IPL is not a true laser. IPL is a broad-spectrum pulsed light of many wavelengths. Whereas a laser has a specific wavelength to target a specific thing in the skin, like pigment or blood vessels. Results from laser tend to be achieved far quicker and more effectively than IPL.
Why choose lasers?
In one word: precision. With lasers we can target the one area we want to treat and not disrupt the surrounding skin. However, though it may seem that lasers are like a magic wand for your skin, it’s still a medical procedure that should be taken very seriously. Do your research on your doctor. Make sure your doctor has several different types of lasers. Be wary of clinics with just one laser, it’s almost like, all they have is a hammer, so they think everything looks like a nail.
Is it painful?
Most find laser completely tolerable. Using a topical anaesthetic means many don’t feel a thing. It really just depends on your pain tolerance.
